A slightly different spag bol

I REALISED I hadn’t made spaghetti Bolognese for ages so I decided to try a different recipe for a change, but I regretted this slightly when I was trawling around Tesco looking for a jar of antipasti mushrooms. Although I did find them I don’t think they added loads to the recipe. I also used dried oregano and thyme but fresh basil. The recipe is huge so I halved everything although I did put two tins of tomatoes in. I also used a lot more bacon as I needed to use it up. It is a good recipe and good for something different but I think a normal spag bol is just as good. I also had courgettes which worked quite well.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/spaghettibolognese_67868

The best burger and a winning Sunday lunch

I TOOK Kat and Kaylee, when they came to visit, to the wonderful Lotte’s Kitchen which is run by Lotte Duncan. Lotte has her own cook books and has a cute little cafe in the small Oxfordshire village of Chinnor, which is on the border of Buckinghamshire.
It has brightly coloured decor with lots of lovely items to buy, as well as lunch. The menu is quite small but what they serve is lovely and there is a good selection of cakes.
I went for a special with Kaylee, which was a cheese burger, served with a big side salad (£10.50). it was the nicest burger I had eaten in a long time.
It was thick, but not too greasy. I am not a big cheese fan but the cheese on top was melted into the burger and was light and creamy. It was served in a white bun with mayo on the top.

The salad was fresh with spring onions and a delightful dressing. I loved this meal.

Kat went for the broccoli soup with cheese and chutney toastie. She wasn’t overly keen on the soup but the toastie was amazing, she said.

A great cafe to visit. I only wish I lived a bit closer.

The next day we went to The Royal Standard in Knotty Green for Sunday lunch. I had to book. It was packed when we arrived. It is a lovely old pub, apparently the oldest almshouse in England, and has a great menu. The only annoying thing is you have to order you food at the bar on a Sunday, which takes ages.

I went for the pork roast (£12) which is a huge portion of pork, with a large crunchy piece of crackling, a huge Yorkshire pud, cabbage, parsnip, swede and carrot and roast potatoes. This knocked spots off the last pub roast I had. It was all delightfully cooked and tasty. The only problem I had was with the white pepper on some of the vegetables. Kaylee almost defeated the beef roast (£14) and Kat went for a delightful looking fish pie, served with fresh greens. A winning Sunday lunch.